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The Prodigy Annie Jones

Abstract:

Annie Jones was born in r865 in America. Her parents began exhibiting her at the age of nine months under the name 'The Infant Esau'. (Esau is a figure in the Old Testament who was born hairy-the name means hairy in Hebrew.) Jones' facial hair was quite long before she was five. She became very well-known throughout the country and toured the world as part of the famous 'Freakshow' in the Barnum & Bailey Circus, for which she was the spokesperson. However, in London she organised a meeting of her fellow circus performers and urged them to demand a less 'opprobrious' and demeaning classification than 'freaks'. They came up with 'prodigies'. Jones was respected for her fine manners. She married twice (the second time to her childhood sweetheart) and was a talented businesswoman, making a small fortune by investing in real estate.